45 more positive cases in retests of 2008, ’12 samples — IOC

However, as they launched a desperate rearguard action, the International Paralympic Federation (IPF) announced they were seeking a suspension which would sideline the Russians from the Paralympics in Rio in September.

The IOC’s executive board meets Sunday and is expected to provide final confirmation for a ban on the Russian track and field team.

MOSCOW (AP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin called Friday for a new anti-doping commission to be created to shape Russia’s future strategy, as the country faces possible exclusion from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Forty-five athletes have failed dope tests after their samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Games were reanalysed, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Friday.

“The new reanalysis once again shows the commitment of the International Olympic Committee in the fight against doping”, Bach added. Gorbachev appealed on behalf of clean athletes, saying “the principle of collective punishment is unacceptable”.

The athletes are being informed, after which proceedings against them can begin.

The Paralympic Games will be held September 7-18, following the Olympic Summer Games, which end August 21.

“The McLaren report revealed an unimaginable scale of institutionalised doping in Russian sport that was orchestrated at the highest level”.

The latest results bring the total number of athletes who tested positive for prohibited substances from the first and second waves of reanalysis to 98.

Russian officials have confirmed 14 of the 30 involved were their athletes, including Anna Chicherova who won bronze in the high jump in Beijing and went on to take gold in London.

Of the 45 failed tests, 30 were from Beijing 2008 and included 23 medallists.

The IOC is facing global pressure to act tough on Russian Federation and ban the entire team over incendiary revelations of a state-run doping system that saw the country cheat its way to victory. If it does so, the Russian para athletes would presumably be barred from the upcoming competition in Rio. Two-time Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva said the Rio Games will be devalued, with only “pseudo-gold medals” available.

The Independent Commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chaired by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren released a report on Monday on the results of a probe into the accusations of doping and manipulation of tests by Russian athletes and officials at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games, reports TASS.

The IAAF has only permitted one Russian team member to compete in Rio as a neutral: US-based long jumper Darya Klishina.